Improvement in car-brakes



'NTED STATES PATENT FFICE.A

DAVIS H. DOTTERER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARBRAKES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 152,831, dated July 7, 1874 application led March 25, 1874.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, DAvIs H. DoT'rERER, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a eerl tain new and useful Railroad-Oar Brake 5 and I ing to the usual lnethod. The nature of my,

invention consists in the novel and peculiar construction and combination of parts, having reference particularly to the connection of the brake-shoe with the equalizing-bar, so as to always retain said shoe in that relation to the rail at which it may be adjusted, an-.l thereby avoid jumping and bumping, and with the brake-operatin g mechanism,so as to raise and lower said shoe directly therefrom, all as hereinafter more fully described.

Referringto the accompanying drawing, A represents the lower part of the frame of the body of a car mounted on wheels B B. C G

are the axle-boxes, sustained in the housings D D, and Il is theequalizing-bar, restingnpon said boxesand sustaining the springs F F. G is the connecting-bar of the housings, usually made in a single piece, but, in the present case, divided centrally to make room for the boss h of the hanger H, which alfords a bearing for the shaft K. I is a half-box, embracing the upper side of the equalizing-bar, and secured by bolts t' t' to said hanger H, which is thus suspended from the equalizing-bar. h are ears on the hanger H, secured to the divided connecting-bar G by means of bolts g. The shaft K is provided with rigid arms K1, to which are attached, by a pivotal or joint connection, the brake-shoes L. K2 is another rigid arm, secured upon the shaft K, and provided with a grooved segmental end, k, for the reception, as shown, of a chain, M, passing over a sheave, m, and4 attached to the n brake-handle shaft or other device, by which power is applied for putting on and takin g off the brakes.

The advantages of the foregoing const-ruction are briefly as follows: By braking upon the rail the great injury to which wheels are subjected by the usual method is averted. When the brake is applied to the wheel it has merely the effect of stopping the rotation of the latter and causing it to slide instead of roll upon the rail until the momentum of the car is overcome by the sliding friction of the Wheel upon the rail. rlhis sliding of the wheel produces great injury to the same, destroying the curvature of its face or rim, and producing dat spots, which give an uneasy or bump ing motion to the car. By sustaining the brake` 011 the equaliZing-bar, which is supposed always to remain at the one distance from the rail, the shoe L (one end ofWhich,

viz., the forward end, is intended to be weighted) will retain its adjusted position with referenceto the rail instead of jumping from or bumping againstthe latter, as it would do it' connected with the body of tlre car, which rises and falls upon its springs. Bly raising and lowering the shoe directlyI from the operating mechanism instead of intermediately through the friction of the wheel, as has been done already, the injurious eifects above noticed of brakes on the wheel are avoided, and the entire force exerted is brought to bear directly upon the rail.

I am aware 4that I am not the original inventer oi, broadly, a rail-brake shoe sustained by an equalizing-bar 5 rnor of a rail-brake shoe connected directly with thebrakeoperating mechanism; nor of a rail-brake shoe so connected directly Wi th the brake-operating mechanism as to be independent of the wheels.

What I claim as my invention is- The rail-shoe L, combined with and sustained by the equalizing-bar E, and to be operated directly from the brake-operating mechanism independently of the wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of March, 1874..

DAVIS H. DOTTERER.

I/Vitnesses JNO. A. BELL, M. DANL. CoNNoLLY. 

